


Dark Chocolate

by deepfriedtokoyami



Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alpha Yami Sukehiro, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Attempted Sexual Assault, First Time, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, I Will Go Down With This Ship, Intersex, Jealousy, Knotting, Light BDSM, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Nipple Play, No Spade Invasion, Omega William Vangeance, Overstimulation, References to Mpreg, Romance, Scent Kink, Scent Marking, Smut, Vaginal Sex, but so is william, cinnamon roll william vangeance, julius will also go down with this ship, the golden dawn loves their captain, theyre stupid your honor, yami is a simp
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-21
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-18 15:53:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 20,029
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29611767
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deepfriedtokoyami/pseuds/deepfriedtokoyami
Summary: "He's pretty tiny for a beta" was Yami's first thought when he saw, and smelled, the tree magic user appear out of the forest all those years ago. The lack of distinctive scent was customary for betas, but the feather head's scent seemed…blank. Void. Like there was nothing taking up the person shaped space.If it weren't for the smaller man's Ki the older alpha may not have even noticed him at all.~Traditionally, most teenagers present by their 13th birthday.William Vangeance remained scentless for years until his 16th birthday. On that day, his awakening was to another presence, another soul residing in his body. An alpha soul that clashed and suppressed his own since birth before even making itself known.Now Patolli's soul is gone, and the Golden Dawn Captain is the single resident of a body 13 years late to present.
Relationships: Asta/Yuno (Black Clover), Nozel Silva/Fuegoleon Vermillion, Yami Sukehiro/William Vangeance
Comments: 75
Kudos: 158





	1. Yami Sukehiro

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is my first time ever writing or publishing a fic so any feedback is welcome! I'll try my best to keep the characters true to themselves but let's be real I'm already making Yami a simp I've got a foot in hell and the other in a hello kitty roller skate.
> 
> I love these two so much and I've been looking for a lengthier fic for this ship, so I just decided to write one myself and see how it goes! Maybe I'll even inspire some other fics :0
> 
> Many of the more hardcore smut tags won't apply until later on in the fic, and right now I've got a loose idea of where this will be heading, hoping to update at least once a week! I'm in school now but not drowning in work so that shouldn't be an issue.

**Chapter 1: Yami Sukehiro**

_"He's pretty tiny for a beta"_

That was Yami's first thought when he saw, and smelled, the tree magic user appear out of the forest all those years ago. The lack of distinctive scent was customary for betas, but the feather head's scent seemed…blank. Void. Like there was nothing taking up the person shaped space.

If it weren't for the smaller man's Ki the older alpha may not have even noticed him at all. 

Years of sporadic interaction and friendly rivalry steadily overshadowed that missing scent, the characteristic taking a backseat in Yami's mind when he thought of the petite captain. 

There were many other things that came to life whenever the dark magic user turned his thoughts to his rival. 

That grossly gaudy helmet. The long johns. Unnecessarily bright lavender eyes.

Fuck.

Hidden smiles and muffled giggles when Yami poked at the other captains during their bi-weekly meetings with the wizard king, because laughing at Nozel's braid and calling the head of the Crimson Lions "Little Fuego" weren't acceptable actions to those of nobility, so catching these little moments were rare to say the least.

But nothing was off limits to the rough alpha, he had surpassed those long ago when it came to getting a reaction from the normally serene beta man.

Yami had come to terms with his pining over Vangeance after just a few wallows in the bathroom and more than just a few denial filled mental tangents while training. 

It wasn't that bad. Really.

Not like he had been caught daydreaming about the comforting gaze through a golden mask, snowy hair that looked too soft to be real, fine boned hands that betrayed themselves and the strength they contained, pale skin underneath that ridiculous cape and all those layers begging to be undressed an-

Okay so maybe it was worse than he thought.

Recently the Black Bulls captain found more and more of his attention and thoughts being overrun with the golden dawn leader. How could it not? With everything they've been through after the Eye of the Midnight Sun, William/Patolli's fight with Julius, and the reconstructive efforts through the entire capital forcing squads to mesh and cooperate at a level never needed before. 

This was all compounded by that night, just barely a week prior, every detail running on loop until he could barely take it anymore.

~

_*Flashback*_

_A ripple of Ki just outside the black bull's base drew Yami's attention. It was late, just past 1 am, and this familiar presence was the last thing he had been expecting to feel before passing out from spending the day slashing through rubble and ordering around his ruffian squad in the capital._

_Freaking Julius._

_Yami would bet money that the time mage paired his squad with the golden boys of the clover kingdom just for comedic value. Watching their interactions, mostly those of Asta, Noelle, and Luck with the pretty boy, that flowery Vermillion girl, and the uptight glasses freak was rowdier than even the worst days at the Bulls' hideout. Though he couldn't curse the Wizard King for giving him a few hours to joke around with William, trying to pull soft laughter from those lips while they both should be working was too tempting to pass up._

_Even worse, little goldie guts decided to forego his crimson cape that was ever present beneath the smaller, traditional golden dawn shawl, giving Yami a full view of slender legs and a perky ass clad in white slacks that seemed to hug those slim hips with every step the man took and every twist of his torso as he directed magic branches to clear fallen structures and aid his own squad. It was so damn frustrating to watch as the hours dragged on, he was going to lose it and drag the other captain to the nearest alley, audience and reconstruction be damned. Thankfully their efforts were halted for the day as the sun crept further down the horizon until evening set fully on the kingdom, allowing the squads to return home and rest._

_So, the extra presence out in by woods near the hideout was puzzling at best, and the erratic nature of the normally gentle Ki mildly concerning, bringing a sense of unease the dark magic captain hadn't felt since waiting for William in the Golden Dawn base and being drowned in that horrendous swamp water they called tea. He moved from his lax position on the couch towards the front door, sensing the other figure begin to approach as well._

_'I guess this means mister long johns was waiting to see if I was still up, for whatever reason. Can't imagine him making the trek all the way out here for a simple house call.'_

_Yami opened the wooden door and stepped out, closing it behind himself before giving his attention to the smaller man now only feet away from him. Worst case scenario and Vangeance decides to be possessed again, well, he wouldn't want to fight inside of the base. Upon looking at the other captain, yami realised that William was without his customary helmet, and even further wore clothes that looked like- pajamas? There was also a strange aura to the captain, Yami felt as if his nerves were even more sensitive to the beta than usual, his presence shining through the darkness of night._

_They stood in silence for a moment, Yami taking the time to light a cigarette while waiting for the white haired male to give any hint to the reason for his late night visit. The standoff drew for so long he couldn't take it anymore._

_"You're not sleep walking all the way out here are you goldie guts? The forest can be pretty dangerous even for someone as fancy as you if you got lost."_

_William hadn't so much as lifted his head at this point, his face covered in shadows and the lights outside of the base barely reaching him in the first place. A few beats passed, and the barest hint of sound rose from the golden dawn captain, a strained laugh that only just carried over to the alpha._

_"I certainly feel as if I am already quite lost these days, perhaps that is exactly what I need to find my way again."_

_William finally lifted his and locked his gaze with the other man, stepping closer as the lanterns bathed him in a soft orange glow and revealing the pools of unshed tears and reddened eyes to Yami._

_The smaller captain stopped just within arms reach and seemed to struggle before speaking again._

_"I'm sorry to come so late unannounced to your home, and disturbing your night, but I have not been able to rest peacefully without relieving myself of this shame."_

_Yami's chest tightened seeing William so visibly wrecked, wanting nothing more than to pull him close and comfort the petite man, but he knew a steeling resolution when he saw one, so he settle for crushing the dying smoke under heel on the ground before stepping into Vangeance's immediate space, waiting for the next move._

_"I- I do not know if I have the words to properly express what needs to be said."_

_The tree magic user visible swallowed, tightening his fists at his sides for a moment before looking up at Yami and continuing._

_"I made you witness the product of my own weakness and indecisiveness, called upon you as the only man I could trust with what I knew would take place with Julius while keeping you in the dark and I-"_

_The words cut off, a harsh sob breaking through when Vangeance started to shake as he ducked his head once more, reaching slowly with both hands to cling onto Yami's tank top. A small wave of bitter, acrid scent invaded the alpha senses, self loathing and suffering rising to the surface from the armful of the captain he had in front of him._

_"I- I'm so sorry…" came a whisper, muffled by Williams' face buried into the cloth top, the black bulls captain tilting his own head to peer at eyes that now stared back up at him, bright as always yet now full of pain and drowning in tears. Another sob forced it's way from the beta._

_"I'm so very sorry Yami! I do not deserve to have your friendship, let alone ask for your forgiveness, but you have been so kind even after everything I've done. You have treated me no different than before and I could not even muster the courage to face you myself until now!"_

_The words rushed out of the beta, hands gripping even tighter to Yami and making it painfully aware of the press of each other's bodies against one another to the taller man._

_Yami continued to stare down at the other for a beat before sighing and bring his left hand up to rest it on the soft white hair, taking in the shocked wide lavender eyes at his gesture. He held it there for a moment, slowly bringing it down to cradle the head against his chest and jesus just how short was the guy? He wrapped his right arm around the petite man's waist, pulling him against his own body in an embrace._

_"You must really think I'm some kind of muscle head idiot if you doubted me this much to cry over what happened. There's nothing to forgive, at least not from me."_

_At his words it seemed a dam broke within the white haired man, continuous tears and small cries coming from him as he hid his face into the taller man's chest._

_Yami felt the tremors and hiccups subside as the other man slowly calmed down, relaxing into the warm body he was pressed against. He registered the shift in scent as well, the panicked essence from before giving way to a bloom of almost honey? Vanilla? Whatever it was was downright addictive, and confusing the hell out of the alpha. Betas didn't have scents this distinctive, right? Maybe it was something in the woods this season, or some new fruity perfume Vanessa or Noelle bought in town._

_Besides the scent, Yami waited until William's breathing steadied and his hands were less of a death grip on his top. A glance at his face showed a relaxed expression, long lashes resting on high cheekbones with one side pressed into the alphas front. He looked peaceful, and his Ki finally settled down too. Yami let his eyes close as well, he felt like he could stand here forever, wrapping the shorter man in his scent, his magic, and his Ki._

_A soft voice broke the silence in the air._

_"Yami…you're a much softer person than you let on aren't you?"_

_"Are you trying to pick a fight with me now?"_

_The alpha opened one eye to peer at the younger man and saw the small smirk hidden on his lips. Good. He didn't want to see that broken up expression on his face ever again, he would move the earth and heavens if need be._

_Small hands smoothed themselves across his chest, a light pressure as Vangeance lifted his head to look up into Yami's eyes._

_"I don't think I could find it in myself to ever fight with you in this lifetime if I'm completely honest. I'm in your debt."_

_With those words a small blush ghosted over the portion of pale skin beneath his scar, William breaking eye contact with Yami and suddenly finding the cloth under his hands the most interesting place in the world. Shit. It was too cute._

_"You better be careful there fancy pants, that's a dangerous thing to say to someone like me."_

_He lightly squeezed the waist under his right arm, moving his left hand from the downy hair to rest at the base of the beta's neck, tilting the head back up to meet his eyes._

_The air shifted between them, static building and charging the atmosphere, and Yami could feel his body heat up even more as he took in the sight of innocent eyes staring straight through him, taking a deep breath and getting lost in the sweet cloud around him. He struggled to keep his own scent in check, wanting to let loose and coat the other man in it so the entire kingdom could smell his mark rubbed into William's skin._

_"Vangeance-"_

_"CAPTAIN YAMI ARE YOU OKAY I FELT SOME SUPER WEIRD KI OUT HERE!!"_

_The front door behind Yami slammed open revealing Asta waving around his demon slayer sword, startling both captains enough to break the tension that had been developing, as well as the embrace the two had shared._

_Yami stalked up to the sword wielding omega and picked him up by his head._

_"You don't go around screaming in the middle of night pipsqueak, who do you think you are? You're dead." He began to reach for his sword as Asta started flailing around in his grip._

_"Ahh!! I'm so sorry I just thought we could be under attack again please don't kill me captain!!"_

_The magicless knight finally noticed William standing behind Yami, no recognition in his eyes as he gazed at the man with scars who was calmly observing the commotion in nothing but pajamas._

_"Oh, Captain Yami who's this?"_

_The alpha shook his subordinate in his grip once before releasing him._

_"None of your business shrimp, now go back to bed before I make you sleep in the woods." Yami threatened._

_"Yes captain!!"_

_Asta turned and ran back into the hideout, the door closing behind him and casting silence upon the two remaining men once again._

_Yami took a deep breath before turning to William, noting the small smile on his face as he stared at the door his squad member had disappeared behind._

_He looked towards the alpha before speaking,_

_"Your members are as lively as ever, it's good to see after they've done so much for the kingdom."_

_"Yeah well sometimes it feels like they're too lively everything considered. They're a bunch of zoo animals on a good day."_

_Yami rubbed the back of his head with one hand, uncertainty flooding through him as he ran through every course of action in his mind now that he was one on one with the beta again._

_The Golden Dawn captain closed the distance between the two first, reaching out to grasp the other's larger hand with one of his own._

_"Perhaps it is best for me to return for the night. It is indeed quite late, and I wouldn't want to keep you up any longer."_

_Yami should let him leave. It was obscenely late at this point, and there was another day of reconstruction on the horizon for them both. He should let him leave, so he could retreat to his customary bathroom stall and maybe twist his head back on straight, clear his senses of this tickling sweet scent that floated around them both._

_"You sure you're good to get back on your own? Some lost sleepwalker in their pajamas could be prime real estate to get robbed."_

_The alpha turned his hand over in the others light grasp, running his fingers softly against the skin of William's wrist, taking in the difference of between the two. Pale on tan. Smooth on calloused. Small, yet so strong._

_"I don't believe I'm quite so defenseless, after all, I did save you from some bandits if I remember correctly." The teasing smile was back on the scarred face, this joking side of the captain rarely shown outside the presence of the Wizard King or the alpha in front of him._

_"Oh yeah, well if I remember I was just getting ready to push past my limits, I had em on the ropes before you stole my thunder."_

_Yami halted the small strokes against Vangeance's wrist, releasing the other man's hand._

_"You better send a carrier pigeon or something when you get back, I don't want all of your sparkly squad thinking we kidnapped you when you get lost."_

_William let out a small huff of laughter at that, before stepping into Yami's space and lifting one hand to the captain's cheek, leaning forward on his toes and quickly placing a peck to the other cheek._

_Yami stood shocked at the movement, as the golden dawn captain retreated out of arms reach before turning away towards the forest._

_"Good night, Yami."_

_The alpha watched as the small silhouette disappeared into the dark foliage, wondering when the hell goldie guts got so damn good at surprising him. He needed to use the john asap before his head exploded with all the thoughts causing chaos in his mind._

_But seriously, where the fuck was that smell coming from?_

_~_

_Daybreak saw the usual antics of the Black Bulls in the dining area, Luck being chased by a barrage of fire balls, Vanessa lounging in her underwear egging on the fire user, aAta yelling through his round of crunches in the corner._

_Yami came into the room ready to shout for some peace and quiet before going out to another round of damage control in the capital._

_"Captain~ we heard you had a visitor last night." Vanessa called from the couch, smirking over her wine glass and drawing attention from everyone in the room. "Who knew you would be the kind of sneaky guy to invite an omega over so late."_

_"I don't know what sleep deprived idiot told you that, but there was a last minute message about our assignment today at the capital. Mr peacock wanted to make sure everything was clear between the squads before we started working."_

_Asta halted his strength training on the other side of the room before chiming in._

_"Wait, that was Yuno's captain? But I thought he was a beta."_

_"I don't see how that matters shrimp. Now you clowns hurry up and get ready, we're back at the capitol today with braid face and his squad to clear out the north end. I don't want to listen to those uptight princesses nagging us for being late so get a move on."_

_Yami turned to retreat back to the hallway, having not seen Finral in the room, and like hell he was gonna fly all the way to the capitol this early in the day._

_He didn't miss the statement from the antimagic user to the squad as he walked away._

_"I could've sworn Captain Yami was with an omega yesterday though."_

_*End Flashback*_

_~_

Yami couldn't stop thinking of that night. It played at the forefront of his mind every time his thoughts wandered. He hadn't run into the Golden Dawn captain again since then, their assignments often placing the squads in vastly different areas of the kingdom. 

He was ashamed to admit that the other captain was the star to all of Yami's jerk off fantasies, especially after his late night visit. How could he not be? 

It was bad enough when Yami was dealing with his crush from afar, but now there was fuel tossed into the fire, and his private hours were spent imagining a slim body spread out beneath him. Strong hands holding down Williams' hips until he begged for more as Yami's instincts told him to grip tighter, leave marks that would paint the pearly skin with his imprint. Now he knew what that body felt like, pressed head to toe against his own, moulded into Yami's space as if he was shaped just to fit in his arms. 

He couldn't take it anymore. And after running through the nights events a thousand times, going over every detail and reaction, Yami was fairly certain he wasn't the only one interested. His gut was telling him that much, and it's never steered him wrong before. So far.

So now came the challenge of 'how the hell was he going to tell the feather head?' he had no idea when their next mission together would be, and asking for advice from anyone in his squad at all was bound to get him the most headache worthy, nonsensical ideas. 

Just go with his gut. Right? The last time they'd seen each other, minus the massive amount of sexual tension, Vangeance was worrying himself into an early grave. 

It wouldn't be too far fetched for Yami to go and check up on him at the Golden Dawn base. 

He should bring something with him. The beta man was more than capable of making flowers for himself, so that was out of the running. Not to mention the rumors that were sure to come from the captain of the worst squad being spotted bouquet shopping.

William liked chocolate though. Dark chocolate to be specific. There was a sweet shop in Kikka that Yami had heard Charmy raving about, apparently they make custom desserts and other tooth rotting goods. 

It was settled. He would go to Kikka, get a couple of (not too many) chocolates, and go to the Golden Dawn base to check in on Vangeance. Completely normal. 

And while he was there he could grow a pair and finally tell the other captain that just maybe he had been pining over him for the last few years and the tree magic user had permanent residency in his head. 

Or just ask for dinner. That could work too.

Yami had all but forgotten about the strange scent that was present between the two that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Yami, you've got it bad. I'm picturing him realizing he has this big honkin crush on William and then turns into the angry pingu meme.
> 
> Also me sucking at writing emotional scenes pls help


	2. William Vangeance

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm just gonna go ahead and apologize for what I've done in this chapter  
> TW: attempted sexual assault

**Chapter 2: William Vangeance**

William Vangeance had a dilemma. It was unfortunate that he was even spending so much time dwelling on this issue, but he simply couldn't help it. He felt as if he spent the first 26 years of his life in a lie. Well, more than the lie it already was in with Patolli there.

To the rest of the world, the Captain of the Golden Dawn was a beta. He had no scent, displayed no aggressive or territorial behaviors stereotyped to alphas, and in general held a comforting demeanor to those he interacted with. 

William Vangeance was not a beta.

He had known, for as long as he breathed, that he was born an omega. There was no denying the physical attributes which accompanied his secondary gender, the extra…parts, telling him all he needed to know. 

The dormant presence and full manifestation of Patolli's alpha soul within his body had apparently suppressed his own omega soul, halting any development of distinctive scent or heat cycles that would normally occur during puberty. So he had hidden his physical indicators of the omega gender (not that any had the real chance to see them) and carried on as an unassuming beta.

But now Patolli's soul is gone, and the Golden Dawn Captain is the single resident of a body 13 years late to present. And he was panicking.

There was nothing wrong with his status as an omega, it held no influence on his position as a magic knight captain and the laws which oppressed omegas and their autonomy were long gone. Certainly there were stigmas and stereotypes for all genders, and he had heard his fair share of whispers, namely amongst nobility, using  _ omega  _ as an insult. But he was not afraid of their opinions.

He was afraid of one opinion. 

Yami Sukehiro's.

For years the two shared camaraderie, an easy relationship that flowed on the same wavelength since their very first interaction, each taking pride in the others progress through the ranks of the Clover Kingdom Magic Knights.

But Yami was an alpha. A very, very, strong, thoroughbred alpha. 

He had all the defining attributes of his gender, the hulking, broad physique, massive magical energy, fierce presence, and dominant scent. The mix of smoky cedarwood and ocean shores, plus the hint of lingering cigarette smoke that shouldn't be appealing but somehow drove William  _ mad.  _

Even though he hadn't produced a scent of his own, he retained the sharp senses that betas lacked, as they had no need to distinguish the scents of alphas and omegas. So every interaction with the alpha captain left him wanting, feeling like he could crawl out of his own skin. Like something was  _ wrong  _ and  _ missing _ but he couldn't tell what it was.

Yami was under the impression that William was a beta, and had been this whole time. A neutral presence in his life. 

Or perhaps not so neutral, if the alpha's reaction to the omega's rather emotional late night visit at the Black Bulls hideout was any indication. 

William always knew that Yami wasn't some brute force idiot that jumped before looking. He understood the weight of situations and what took priority in an instant better than most people could in infinite time. 

He was fair, noble, and cared for each of his squad mates as his own family. Loyal to those important to him til death. It's no wonder William had fallen for him. 

Not to mention he was one tree the omega would  _ love _ to climb.

This brought him back to his dilemma. While he was fairly confident that Yami's interest was returned, he didn't know how to broach the topic of his true gender with the alpha. Does he reveal his feelings first, and wait to be honest about being an omega? The idea of hiding another part of himself from Yami, especially so soon after the devastating revelation of Patolli, left a bitter taste in William's mouth. How could he lie to this man yet again?

But the other option was just as worrisome for him. Revealing himself as an omega, just to then confess to the Black Bulls captain could give the impression that he was using his status as an omega to sway Yami's decision. Using his  _ omegan wiles _ . The golden dawn captain made a disgusted face in the privacy of his quarters.

Even worse yet, what if Yami simply wanted him  _ because  _ he was an omega? This concern was but a whisper, and yet William couldn't erase it completely from his mind. 

_ 'Why would Yami want a scrawny figure like himself, with a disfigured face and a traitor to boot?' _

The omega felt ashamed to think of Yami in that light even for just a moment. He would be the last person to judge another by anything but character, the taller captain having no concern for vanity or status.

As nervous as it made him, William knew deep down he had to tell Yami of his secondary gender before anything else. He couldn't have another lie of omission hanging over their heads, he didn't want to start a relationship with that. If he ever got to the relationship part.

The omega had never believed he would even get the chance to pursue this long term interest in the other captain, as Patolli's soul was enough to handle and too great of a secret to hide from a partner. Nevermind the plans to kill all of humanity.

Things were different now. The kingdom was still standing, undergoing restoration with the aid of all the squads, Julius was alive (though the thought of his mentor still made his heart ache with shame), and William had somehow survived the Eye of the Midnight Sun's resurrection. 

He was free.

However the white haired man had no idea when exactly his body would capitalize on this newfound freedom. Though if the occasional puzzled looks he was receiving from his alpha and omega squad members was any indication, his omega scent was developing. With it, he was sure to enter his first heat soon.

So if he wished to have a proper discussion with Yami, and come clean of his status as well as his feelings, he needed to take the first step.

He called the Golden Dawn for a squad meeting.

~

"I wonder what Captain Vangeance wanted to talk to us about so soon. He's never called such an urgent meeting." 

Mimosa stood in the Golden Dawn audience chamber alongside Yuno and Klaus, the standard setting for squad meetings that often took place once a week.

Klaus adjusted his glasses. "I am sure that whatever it is has utmost importance! The Captain has been diligent in leading our squad to restore the Clover Kingdom, he likely has received word of a new assignment."

Mimosa nodded, then brought a finger to her lips in thought, "That's true, but still it's a little strange. He usually just waits until morning."

"It's a bit of an inconvenience to drop everything within a few hours." Yuno stood furthest from the center of the room, leaning against the back wall.

The bespectacled mage turned to face the wind magic user.

"Yuno! You should respect the decisions of our Captain! He is far your superior and you should admire his commitment to keeping his squad up to date, likely at the sacrifice of his own busy schedule."

The dark haired male simply averted his eyes to the side, and scanned the rest of the chamber. There really was the entire squad present. A little out of character for the captain, he often only addressed those immediately within the capitol walls.

What could concern every single member of the Golden Dawn? Another threat?

The sound of the double doors at the front of the room opening dampened the chattering of the mages present, giving way to the feathered silhouette of the beta captain. William stepped out onto the small platform before addressing his squad.

"Thank you everyone for coming on such short notice. I understand that many of you have traveled quite a distance to be present, but I felt that this matter concerned all members in the Golden Dawn, and should therefore be heard firsthand from me."

Many of the members went still, the events of the elves attack on the city fresh in their minds and anticipating news of a new foe. 

"I know that I have explained before the circumstances surrounding myself and leader of the Eye of the Midnight Sun, Patolli. I cannot express how grateful I am for the trust you all continue to display towards myself and your fellow squad members who were affected by the resurrection spell. But there is another matter which I feel you all should be made aware about, and while it is not of any danger to the kingdom I do not wish to hide anything from my squad any longer."

William paused, noting the unfurling of slight tension in the room at his words, making it clear there was no fight to be had in the future. 

"In the Golden Dawn, I have strived to ensure that no member is judged based on anything but their performance as a magic knight and the strength of their character. All are welcomed here, nobility or commoner, alpha beta, or omega. I am sure that many of you know my secondary nature as a beta, but that is not the case."

A small wave of whispers broke out in the crowd of knights. 

"He's not a beta? He doesn't smell like anything, how could he hide his scent?"

"That must mean the Captain is an alpha. But he doesn't look anything like an alpha at all."

"An omega? There haven't been any other omega captains since-"

William raised his hand to calm the murmuring before too many assumptions could be drawn.

"I understand how this may be confusing, but in short the presence of Patolli's soul acted as a barrier between my own soul and the presentation of my nature. The lack of scent that gave the appearance of my being a beta was from it never developing, rather than not existing at all. And now as you all know, Patolli no longer resides in this body, and I'm sure some of you have picked up on a growing scent from me."

"I have known all my life that I was an omega, but it was impossible to explain the missing scent until now. I felt that it was only fair for my squad to know of my status first, and as such wanted to announce it before it became apparent to everyone else."

The omega paused again, seeing all those in attendance waiting for any further information with his announcement.

"I hope that this does not change the opinion you hold of myself, and I ask that this information be kept within the squad for now, as I have a few matters to attend to as quickly as possible. Please, have faith in me once again."

There was a beat of silence, before the room erupted in exclamations from the audience.

"Our Captain is so strong! An omega captain, and to think he's put the other captains to shame with his magic!"

"Of course Captain Vangeance! You can count on us!"

"That must have been so hard to keep quiet about! I can't imagine not being in touch with such a big part of yourself for so long!"

William smiled at the words of his squad, relieved that it didn't seem to affect the already tested relationship he had with his unit. The things he's put the Golden Dawn through, he truly didn't deserve such unwavering loyalty.

"I thank you all again for your faith in me. I hope I can rise to the occasion and prove my strength to you and the rest of the Clover Kingdom. Please rest for the remainder of the night, as well as tomorrow. We have no assignment to attend to and everyone has the day off."

The squad's noise rose again, with further affirmations and thank you's before tampering down as members made their way out of the room to plan for activities on their vacation day.

"Wow! I wasn't expecting Captain Vangeance to have that to tell us! Now that I look at it, he does seem to be built more like an omega than a beta. I wonder what his scent will be like!" Mimosa excitedly chatted to Klaus and Yuno, the latter appearing wholly disinterested in the development.

"Mimosa, you should remain calm about this. The Captain has entrusted us as his squad to keep this secret until he is ready for the kingdom to be aware of it," Klaus berated.

"Oh come on Klaus I know you're just as curious as I am! And Yuno you must be too! I bet his scent will be so calm and soothing, just like the Captain!"

Yuno moved from his place on the wall and started towards the back door.

"I don't have any concern about his scent or him being an omega. I'll still become the Captain of the Golden Dawn, and then the Wizard King. I'm leaving."

Klaus moved to follow after him.

"Yuno, where do you think you're going! You know you're not to speak a word of this to anyone, especially Asta!" 

"Hn."

"Yuno!"

~

William breathed a sigh of relief as he stood in the halls outside of the meeting chamber. While he was able to hide much of his nerves thanks to his mask, he could never quite get rid of them, especially not for such a weighty matter as this. 

Step one of, uh, infinity, complete.

Perhaps his next action should be to stop by Owen for a check up. He wasn't sure if the healer could give him an estimate of when his presentation would come full on, but any idea would be helpful. He couldn't imagine there was anyone else in his exact position for reference, but there was another stop he could make along the way.

The sound of footsteps echoing through the hallway brought the omega from his thoughts, his eyes registering Golden Dawn boots in front of him. He looked up through the mask to see Alecdora, the man tense through his whole body and frustration under the surface of his expression.

"Alecdora, are you alright?" His concern for the senior knight second nature.

The sand mage's brows furrowed even more, his arms rigid at his sides. 

"It can't be true, can it? You can't be an omega."

The strained words sank into William's skin, this sort of reaction not surprising but unexpected from the green haired man.

"Yes, it is true. I've known my whole life, it was simply a matter of-"

"NO!"

Arms slammed to either side of his head, caging him between the wall and the taller beta man now a hair's breadth away.

"That's not possible! There's no scent to you, none at all! I can't just accept that now you're an omega!"

Alecdora stared into William's eyes, sorrow now mixed with the frustration as he breathed heavily.

"I'm sorry Alecdora. I had hoped that this wouldn't change anyone's opinion of me, but I am still the same Captain you had once before, I will prove it to you." The omega man reached with one hand to rest on the other's shoulder, saddened by the backlash from one of his most trusted members.

"You don't understand, do you Captain? Everything is different now."

The taller man shut his eyes, shaking his head as he grabbed William's extended wrist in one hand.

Before the Captain knew it his arm was pinned to the wall by his head, a body pressing him backwards as lips captured his own. His eyes widened and a gasp escaped him, Alecdora slipping his tongue into the opening.

_ 'Oh. This is what he meant, how things are different now. It's not because I'm an omega, rather that I'm not a beta.' _

Omegas, while withstanding a great deal of prejudice for being labeled as the weaker and more emotional secondary gender, were almost guaranteed to produce magically strong offspring. This being due to their ability to conceive only with their alpha counterparts.

Betas were unable to impregnate omegas, regardless of male or female, while beta/beta and alpha/omega pairs could have children no matter the primary gender.

Alecdora was a beta, and now, William was not.

The omega man brought his free hand up to his subordinate's chest to push him away, but he was much larger than the Captain and barely budged. He couldn't get to his grimoire, and he didn't want to hurt the Golden Dawn member.

William broke the kiss with a gasp. "Alecdora, sto- ah!" Teeth set into the juncture between his jaw and the raised collar, the omega man struggling more as the mouth sucked on the sensitive area. 

A larger thigh slotted between his legs, hips pressing his own into the wall as William felt the outline of the sand magic user's erection flush against his groin.

"No, stop! Let go of me, Alecdora!" The mouth from his neck had moved to his ear, biting on the appendage while the omega tried to turn his face away from the assault.

Alecdora's free hand moved to the hem of the Captain's tunic, fingers sliding under the fabric in search of skin and bunching the fabric up his torso. "I won't let this change anything, even if you are an omega, I won't just let you leave for some alpha!" 

Tears began to build in lavender eyes, the white haired mage unable to escape from the others grip, a large hand making it's way up his chest under the white shirt. He didn't want this.

Panic built in his chest, and William felt as if he'd pass out from the stress.

Neither man heard the light steps of sandaled feet approach.

"Mercury Creation Magic: Silver Binding Prison"

Chains shot forward from the Silver Eagles captain, wrapping around Alecdora and whipping the body off of the omega into the opposing wall, knocking the man out cold with a shout before restraining his prone form.

Catching his breath as he leaned against the wall, relief flooded William's body.

"I come all this way only to be forced to take out another squad's trash. Any reason as to why I shouldn't wipe this stain off the map, Vangeance?"

The cold voice of Nozel cut through the hallway, eyes full of disdain shifting their attention from the unconscious man to the shaken Captain.

Nozel Silva, Captain of the Silver Eagles. Head of the Noble Silva Family. Feared by many, revered by more.

Omega.

"Nozel… please… Alecdora is not a bad person, I can explain everything. Let us move to my chambers."

The taller man stared at the other captain, considering his words.

"And what of this insect."

"Could you please bring him with us? It doesn't seem as if he will be waking anytime soon, but I'd rather not cause panic in my squad if he were found attacked."

Icy eyes narrowed, "Very well."

William spent the following moments within his rooms recounting the day's events to Nozel, his meeting with the Golden Dawn, their reactions, being cornered by Alecdora. He left out the mental plan involving Yami but he doubted the other Captain would be keen on listening to that part.

"I am very worried about how my presentation will occur. I had intended to speak with Owen, and was going to contact you as well before Alecdora showed up. You are the only other omega captain, and I don't have many magic knights I trust to consult on this matter." 

The captains sat opposite one another, a small table with freshly brewed tea separating the two.

Nozel held a small cup in his hand, taking a sip of the tea before returning it to its place on the table, and looking at the shorter man.

I'd expect your heat will likely be within the fortnite."

William's eyes widened at those words, "How can you tell? I smell almost nothing from my body, and there are no pre-heat signs."

The Silva crossed his legs and leaned back into the chair, "An omega's first heat often comes without the usual warnings that develop later in their cycles. The intensity and swiftness of the onset can be predicted based on magical power. The greater the magic, the quicker and more devastating the heat comes. You possess a large amount of magic, amplified by your joining with the elf spirit and their innate relationship to mana."

The other omega let the words sink in before continuing, "I possess a relatively keen sense of smell as an omega and captain myself, but our genders are often more in tune to the scents of our counterparts. Your scent is already distinguishable to me when I am in your presence, but it would be more accurate to know from an alpha captain."

'An alpha captain? William's mind immediately went to Yami, but the idea of asking him 'hey, can you scent me and tell me what you think, I'm trying to figure out when I'm going to fall into a lust filled craze' was downright mortifying.'

As if sensing the Golden Dawn captain's thoughts, Nozel spoke again. 

"There is someone that could give the most accurate account of your scent to you, and I know he will not tell others of your state before you are ready. You will need to be prepared, as this heat may very well be more intense than anything you have experienced. Your body will try to compensate for lost time, and it could last for much longer than normal."

The scarred man had guessed as much, so getting the timeline correct was even more important if he was going to be out of commission for a while. William needed to get his squad affairs in order. He brought his gaze from the hands in his lap to meet Nozel's eyes. "Who is it?"

"My mate, Fuegoleon."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'M SORRY WILLIAM
> 
> inb4 Yami finds out what happened and straight up dimension slashes Alecdora's head off


	3. Julius Novachrono

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> warnings for self-gratification lmao

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone for the feedback you're all so kind! I'm guesstimating 8 chapters in total for this? Once I write everything out I'll update the chapter length here, the ? is really bugging me

**Chapter 3: Julius Novachrono**

Mating, or bonding, was a process that was held in higher regard than marriage. This occured only with alpha/omega pairs, and were often kick-started by the affinity for each other's scents and magic compatibility. Other factors like noble status, age, and primary gender came into play, but were rarely enough to sway the willpower of two people that were wrapped up in each other's scents. The bond that formed from the mating process allowed the pair to feel echoes of emotions, thoughts, and sometimes even tap into each other's magical reserves depending on their strength.

Once mated, the two become resistant to the effects of unbonded scents or pheromones. The mark of bonded pairs formed during the sync of the alpha ruts and omega heat through biting the other's scent gland on their neck.

Some chose to show off bonding marks, others neither hide nor draw attention to the scars, and those who hid their status usually did so to protect their mate, for instance if one were a Magic Knight and the other a civilian.

For Nozel to have a mate within the Magic Knight ranks was expected, his magical power and captain position as an omega couldn't hope to be matched by a civilian. Narrowing that pool down to captain level alphas, and then even further to those who didn't immediately make the Silva want to murder them, and, well, you pretty much have only Fuegoleon left.

But William hadn't known that the two underwent the bonding ceremony officially, or that they were even together to begin with. Their quarrels during the captains' meetings and on the battlefield were infamous, usually causing quite a bit of destruction before the two could be calmed down or separated. 

'Was that their idea of foreplay this whole time? I feel like we've all unintentionally witnessed something we shouldn't have.' Vangeance kept his thoughts to himself, no doubt Nozel would find offense if something so 'improper' were suggested.

"Excuse me for asking, but when did you and Fuegloleon become mates? As far as I can remember, your scents have both been normal to me."

Nozel's focus shifted to the corner of the room, "We are able to control the amount of scent that emanates from us, even after the bonding. It remains the same to those on the outside, but no longer triggers intense reactions from potential biological partners. We mated immediately after the attack on the capitol by the elves. It had been discussed before, but we wished to complete it as soon as possible, once he had awoken and the kingdom was stable."

'They mated after Fuegoleon lost an arm and was in a coma for so long that no one knew if he would ever wake up…' shame washed over William at his realization, thinking of the lives and relationships he had played a role in destroying.

"I can only imagine what you are thinking, and it is not the product of your actions in any way. We both understand the dangers of battle as Captains of the Magic Knights." Nozel's sharp words drew Vangeance from his thoughts. "If you wish to atone for some fictional slight, then keeping word of our bonding to yourself would be enough."

The tree mage sat stunned as Nozel rose to his feet, adjusting his clothes slightly before turning to the door.

"I will tell Fuegoleon to come by the base tomorrow morning. And I will take this pest to the Wizard King to be dealt with properly. Your bleeding heart will no doubt give a lackluster punishment unfitting for his crimes." Nozel gestured to the bound, and still unconscious, Alecdora, using his magic to bring the form with him in his exit.

"Good day, Captain Vangeance."

The click of his chamber doors closing behind the other captain left William in silence, pondering over the well of information he had gotten from the Noble, and over the encounter with Alecdora.

Alecdora, who was being taken to the Wizard King, Julius Novachrono.

Julius.

He hadn't told Julius yet.

~

William spent the remainder of the day doing miscellaneous tasks around the base, even dusting and cleaning corners of rooms that hadn't been used in god knows how long. Currently he had gone through nearly all of the Golden Dawn's paperwork, effectively finishing weeks of work while trying to stay calm. He considered going to Owen as originally planned, but thought it may be better to wait for Fuegoleon to come the following morning.

The worst thing that could happen would be going into heat while he was far from the base, and after what happened with Alecdora, well, he was going to play it safe.

It was hard to forget what Nozel had told him about magic power and the intensity of omega heats. Compounded with the years of null heats his body had missed spelled out, in large, a very painful experience on the horizon for the petite man. 

A knock at the office door startled him. He hadn't sensed any Ki approaching, but lately his mind was all over the place.

"Come in," he called from his desk.

The doors opened, and a much shorter figure than he was expecting stepped through.

Oh.

The Wizard King, now in his younger, reverted form, closed the door softly as he came into the room. He was without the usual robe and accessories, dressed in simple commoners clothing, likely to aid in his galivanting around the capital unnoticed.

"Julius, what a pleasant surprise. Please come have a seat, I can make some tea for us." William stood immediately to move for the tea set in his cabinets, but Julius halted him with a hand.

"There's no need for that William, I came by to check on you, Nozel informed me of what happened with your squad member earlier today and I wanted to make sure you weren't too shaken up." The smaller form of his mentor sat in the large armchair opposite his desk, dwarfing his new body almost comically.

William sat back in the office chair. "Oh, yes, I must admit that it was far from a pleasant experience, and I had hoped to avoid any kind of extreme reaction from the members of the Golden Dawn, least of all from Alecdora.

They both sat in silence for a moment, Julius giving the other man time to gather his words.

"Julius, I'm sorry I never told you of my true status. It was second nature to keep it hidden along with the existence of Patolli, and recent events have caused many changes I was not expecting so soon. I know that your judgment of Alecdora will have been fair and appropriate." The omega glance towards the time magician's expression, expecting some level of disappointment at his lies, yet again.

But Julius only looked relieved. "I'm glad that the rest of your squad was so accepting of your announcement and you're not harmed from your encounter. Nozel told me that you almost received a standing ovation after the meeting. And there will always be those who lash out at change, it's no fault of yours for their actions, I want to be sure you know that. But Alecdora's crimes were quite severe, attacking not only a magic knight captain but his own superior in such a manner. He will no longer hold the title of magic knight but given the sensitive nature of the information he has, Marx has stripped Alecdora of all memories regarding the Golden Dawn and your announcement. He will be placed as a guard in one of the underground prisons on the outskirts of the capitol."

The Wizard King stood from the plush chair and made his way around the desk over to the omega, resting both hands on his shoulders.

"You must have been quite worried trying to manage your full status as an omega now, and I want you to know that you don't have to concern yourself with getting your squad ahead in work before your first heat. Marx and I can handle it while you're gone."

William was once again floored by the generosity of the man that changed his life. How could he simply take in the chaos that William had caused these last few weeks and let it roll off his back like it was nothing? And then to come and offer comfort personally for his pupil. If he didn't get a grip he was going to cry for the nth time this week, honestly.

The omega stood and drew his, now shorter, master into an embrace, burying his head into the crook of his neck and relaxing at the familiar scent. He had never dwelled on it much, but Julius had a distinctive scent, just like an alpha or omega. It was faint, almost like it was being diluted or suppressed, bringing Nozel's earlier revelation of mated pairs' dampening capabilities.

Could he possibly?...

"Thank you Julius. I'm in your debt yet again. I'll do my best to prepare for my coming heat, I hope to make my status public before it's onset."

Julius returned the embrace, chuckling slightly after a moment and making William pull back to glimpse at the man? teen? with a puzzled look.

"Oh it's nothing, I'm just imagining Yami's face when he learns about this. You two always had quite the amusing relationship, I wouldn't be surprised if he took this as a challenge of some sort."

Maybe William should ask Julius about Yami while he was here. There likely wasn't anyone who knew the alpha better than the Wizard King, and he wasn't sure when he'd get the chance to see the man again with their schedules.

"Julius, about Yami, I was wondering if I could get your thoughts on his… reaction, about my new gender. I must admit I'm nervous to tell him, I feel like I am unveiling one hidden secret after another, and I have never heard any indication of… interest in omegas on his part." The last few words came out with a blush and Vangeance averted his eyes, certain that Julius could see through his poor attempt to cover the real reason for his inquiry.

The shorter man brought a hand to his chin in thought, "Well it's true, Yami has never really concerned himself with alphas or omegas and their status, let alone being involved with an omega as far as I know. Though he's not likely to find someone with the amount of time he spends in the bathroom!" Julius laughed through his statement, before taking on a more serious tone. "You don't have anything to fear with Yami's response to you being an omega, like I said if anything he'll say something about you putting the other alpha captains to shame," the Wizard King reassured his nervous friend. 

'So it's like that eh?' the blonde man smiled internally, 'it's about time those two stopped dancing around each other. I knew Yami was thick but I wasn't expecting William so give him a run for his money.' 

"Whenever you feel the time is right, just sit down and talk with him, I'm sure it will go over just fine." He stepped back around the desk to move towards the door. "I'll leave you to retire for the night, I understand that Fuegoleon will be arriving sometime in the morning. Perhaps a bath before his arrival may be in order, just to ensure your scent isn't muddled at all."

He stepped through the doorway with a parting wave, "Good night, William."

"Good night, Julius. Thank you again."

The omega sighed after his mentor left, considering the last words. 'You smell like Alecdora' was heard loud and clear, he hadn't even thought of the effect it may have on Fuegoleon's estimation tomorrow. 

A hot bath would be nice, hopefully it would help unfurl the tension that sat through his whole body from the stress of today.

William wrapped up the last document, leaving the office and going to his rooms. He was grateful for the individual bathroom. that came with being a captain, though omegas often received a separate bathing area to begin with in all squads.

He drew a bath, setting the water to just short of scalding and poured a small amount of scented oil to the tub. It was one of his favorite scents, a gift from one of his fellow squad members for his previous birthday. The sweet cloud of baked sugar flooded the steamy air, and William began to undress, hanging his cape outside of the humid area and placing the rest of his clothing in the wicker hamper that sat in the corner.

The Captain moaned as he sank into the water, the heat bleeding into knotted muscles and working its own kind of magic. He used the soft rag that hung from the faucet to scrub down his figure with the coffee scented body wash yet another member had given him, his pale skin already pink from the water. 

He was sure if Yami saw the sickly sweet products that frequented his bath the alpha would make some joke about William being a walking dessert.

Memories of the Black Bulls captain flashed through his mind, quickly transforming into images of the taller male sitting with William in the bath. He remembered the firmness of Yami's chest as he leaned into the alpha those few nights ago, strong arms laced with muscle wrapping around his smaller body in an embrace, the woodsy scent permeating his nose and need settling within him. 

William set the cloth to the side, leaning back against the wall of the tub and letting his hands creep down his chest towards his stomach, moving further to tease at his hardening member. The ceramic at his back was cool, and he wished instead to rest against the furnace of a man in his fantasies. 

_ He imagined large hands covering his own as he stroked his cock, a deep voice whispering filthy words to his ear. "I've barely touched you and you're already like this? I wonder what other naughty things your body is doing." _

_ One hand reached around and grasped his member, slowly stroking the velvety appendage and drawing gasps from the omega. Another hand ghosted along the underside of his dick, two fingers stroking the outside of the slit of his opening that sat just below the base of his cock. _

_ "Please, Yami." William's breathy voice whispered into the small space, his head tilted back to rest on the muscled shoulder of the other captain as he panted. _

_ "Please what? You're going to have to be more specific, I'm not a mind reader you know." A hot mouth closed over the scent gland at the juncture of his neck and shoulder, sucking lightly and working over the skin with a hot tongue. This drug moans from William's mouth, the sensitive skin covering the gland bruising nicely and driving him mad. _

_ "Put your fingers inside of me, please!" The slow pace of Yami's hand stroking his cock wasn't enough, and the other hand teasing the entrance of his cunt wasn't helping. The pad of Yami's middle finger finally slipped between the folds, and he spread the lips with his other fingers. "Here? You're already so hard and you're dripping wet too, I can feel it even in the water." He slipped the digit in easily to his knuckle, working it in and out in time as he stroked the omega with the opposite hand. "This isn't enough for you is it? Your cunt is so greedy, pulling me in." A second finger joined the first, pressing deep into William and rubbing against the soft walls of his opening.  _

_ William didn't know whether to grind down harder on the fingers inside him or thrust upwards into the hand grasping his member. He could feel Yami's own hardness pressed to the small of his back as he sat between the spread legs of the alpha. How full would he be with Yami seated inside of him? He could tell the other man was large even for an alpha, definitely proportional to the rest of his massive body. _

_ A firm squeeze to his cock and another finger joining the others in his hole with a deep jab brought him from his musings with a small shout. _

_ "I must not be doing a good enough job if you're daydreaming in my lap goldie guts." The Captain picked up his pace stroking and plunging his fingers into William, relentless against his g spot as the omega cried out at the onslaught. "A-ahh, wait Yami! I'm- I'm going to come!" William grasped onto Yami's forearms as his body drew tight at the ministrations, overwhelmed by the pleasure coursing through him. "That's the point isn't it? Just let me take care of you." The deep voice almost growled over his shoulder, waves of cedar and alpha pheromones washing over William and bringing him closer to the edge. _

_ The Golden Dawn captain cried out as he came in the water, his channel tightening around the fingers inside him as Yami worked him over relentlessly through his climax. His body twitched with oversensitive nerves, lax in the hold of the alpha behind him. _

_ "My beautiful omega. Imagine how it would feel if I were really here." _

Huh?

William opened his eyes, still sitting in the tub but alone and with the water slightly cooler, the only indication of how long he'd been daydreaming. His own hands drew away from where they had been inside of him and holding his now flaccid member.

'Honestly, what was the point of taking this bath if I'm just going to make the water dirty?' he thought to himself, quickly unplugging the drain to let the tub empty, rinsing himself of any soapy (or other) residue before stepping out.

Feeling considerably more relaxed, William wrapped himself in his plush robe after toweling his hair and wandered into the bedroom, noting the late hour.

'It's probably best to sleep now, in case Fuegoleon comes earlier in the morning tomorrow.' He climbed under the soft covers, and blew out the candle by his bedside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well that went from 0 to 100 real quick
> 
> idk why I'm writing an explicit fic because I'm giving myself second hand embarrassment when I wrote William's scene and couldn't stop laughing


	4. Fuegoleon Vermillion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm procrastinating my thesis and interactive prototyping project rn so guess I'll update :)))))  
> Enter: Fuegoleon, possibly the only character I love more than William in BC

**Chapter 4: Fuegoleon Vermillion**

Fuegoleon Vermillion was not an arrogant man. 

Proud, yes. But arrogant? He would lay all of his honor on the line should someone challenge his confidence as arrogance.

There were many things in life that he took pride in: his magic, his squad, his siblings, his kingdom. But perhaps the what, or who, he was most proud of, was his mate. His beautiful, righteous, and powerful mate. 

Though if he were completely honest, perhaps Nozel's own pride bled into arrogance at times. He wouldn't say that to his face, not if he wanted to sleep in their bed rather than the floor or sofa.

Fuegoleon was self aware enough to realize there was little Nozel could request of him that he would not deliver, bordering on ridiculous. He was truly and utterly wrapped around the omega's little finger, but he quite liked his spot there. Though it was rare for his mate to outright ask for any favor from the alpha, years of petty childhood rivalry made it almost a game to see who could do the most on their own and brag about it later. But these years of friendship meant that Fuegoleon  _ knew  _ Nozel, knew all of his little ticks and habits, the unconscious tells towards the mercury mage's emotions.

So when the silver haired captain returned from his outing at the Golden Dawn base, not only much later than anticipated but expression the smallest bit pinched, Fuegoleon simply waited until his mate was ready to speak of whatever was the cause of his distress.

The two captains sat in Fuegoleon's library, the alpha reading while his mate completed his squad's mission reports. Barely an hour had passed since Nozel's return before he brought  _ it  _ up. 

"William Vangeance is an omega."

…

Oh.

Of all things the crimson lion was expecting, he couldn't say this was even in the top 20. He marked the page in his book, and waited a moment to see if Nozel would continue with his thoughts.

"The elf soul that resided within him until recently halted any development of his omegan scent or his heat cycle." His mate elaborated, eyes never leaving the desk surface cluttered with paper.

"And he came to you as you are the only omega captain in the Clover Kingdom I presume?"

Nozel didn't move his attention from the papers in front of him, and shook his head at his mate's inquiry. "One of the members of the Golden Dawn did not take news of his captain's gender calmly and was assaulting his superior upon my arrival. He has been dealt with by the Wizard King."

Assaulting his captain? While the alpha wanted to ask more, the omega's tone and finality of the event's mention clearly stated 'leave it alone'.

"I see. It is unfortunate that someone like William would have to experience the worst of others' reactions so soon. I hope he was doing well when you left." Fuegoleon was more than aware of the prejudice that still held root towards omegas, particularly within nobility. His mate had played a large role in splintering those prejudices, throwing his status and power as a magic knight captain  _ and  _ an omega in everyone's faces. But the whispers had never truly disappeared.

Nozel stood from his seat behind the large wooden desk, slowly coming to meet his mate at his spot in the plush armchair. The alpha could feel the shift in the air, Nozel's body betraying him as hips swayed just the slightest bit when he approached. Fuegoleon set the book on the side table, spreading his knees to allow the shorter captain to stand between them, eyes locked to each other. Both men had changed into their sleepwear before coming to relax in the library, neither planning to leave the rooms before the next day. Nozel's right arm raised to brush his fingers against the exposed silvery scar on the left side of Fuegoleon's neck and shoulder, his scent wrapping around the alpha. The light touch sent heat down the man's spine, his own scent rising to mix with the omega's before grabbing a hold of the hips in front of him. 

He pulled on Nozel, trying to coax the man into his lap, but his mate resisted the movement and stayed standing before him. 

"I have a favor to ask, Fuegoleon. I hope it will not be too much of an inconvenience for you."

His response was immediate.

"Anything you wish, little bird." It had taken quite some time for Nozel to not lose his composure at the term of endearment, often flushing and becoming embarrassed when Fuegoleon addressed him with it.

Meanwhile the alpha's thoughts immediately went to the last 'favor' requested by his mate, his pants reaching the line of uncomfortable as snippets of alabaster skin held bound in intricate ribbons and hours of breathy pleas came to memory. 

Who knew Nozel was hiding such a side all this time?

"I need you…"

Yes.

"... to go to the Golden Dawn tomorrow morning and scent Captain Vangeance."

What?

"What?"

His mouth echoed his thoughts, blinking in confusion as he made sense of his mate's words.

"He has begun to produce his omega scent, but your senses will be able to give him an accurate estimate for the onset of his first heat. It is likely to be rather extreme, and he will need to prepare properly before that time." Nozel explained plainly, as if he hadn't been putting the thickest layer of scent and seduction onto Fuegoleon just moments ago. 

There weren't many that could make the Crimson Lions captain feel a fool, yet Nozel managed it like breathing. His hold on the slim hips now slack, the omega stepped out of his grip with an amused smirk.

"He will be expecting you, and I trust that you will have no issue finding your way there."

The alpha watched his mate make his way to the library door, remnants of the heated scent following his exit and sighed. Even without Fuegoleon's affirmation, he knew he would go see the other omega captain tomorrow at Nozel's behest.

"Well, are you coming?"

The playful voice snapped the alpha to attention, seeing the teasing expression of his mate escaping back through the doorway, a pair of sleeping pants tossed past the threshold and onto the library floor.

The fire mage stood with a fierce grin, already shedding his tunic as he chased after the omega.

Yes, he was coming.

~

Fuegoleon set off for the Golden Dawn base around 10 in the morning, not wanting to arrive too early should their captain still be resting, no doubt having gone through quite the ordeal yesterday.

He had only come to the base a handful of times, but remembered the location of Vangeance's rooms and office once he reached the compound. As he stood outside of the double doors leading to the captain's space, he already detected a new, unfamiliar scent in the area. 

The Vermillion head knocked on the heavy doors, hearing a muffled, "Come in". 

Nozel spoke of his estimation for the presenting omega's heat as they lay in bed the previous night, but now that the alpha was experiencing the scent himself, he would have to guess an even earlier onset.

William sat at his own desk, the stacks of paperwork surrounding the man customary for a captain of a magic knights squad. The unmasked man looked up with a warm smile as the crimson lion entered.

"Fuegoleon, I was expecting you. Thank you for coming so far and doing this favor for me. I'm sure Nozel has explained the situation."

The omega stood and walked to meet the other man in the middle of the room, extending his hand in greeting. 

"Yes, and it is quite the unique one at that. I am more than happy to help, I know just how precarious an omega's first heat experience can be, especially those with such strong magic power." He had been there, at that time solely as a friend and rival, when Nozel's first cycle came at the age of 11. Early for an omega, but not abnormal considering the silver haired man's abilities and bloodline. It was terrifying and confusing to see his closest friend in pain, nothing that could be done to quell the hormones running rampant in Nozel's body. 

Part of Fuegoleon feared what the delayed heat would be like for the late blooming omega that stood before him. Heats were always more bearable for omegas when experienced with an alpha, but he had never heard even a whisper that would hint at Vangeance having a partner.

Soft words drew him from his musings.

"What would be the easiest way for you to, um, scent me?" The tree mage's visible face was dusted pink, no doubt having little experience with scenting up until this moment if he spent so long hiding his omega status, but fully aware of the intimate nature that it carried.

A small chuckle left the alpha's mouth at William's bashful reaction. "It would be fine for us to stand, but perhaps seated will be best for you if this experience is new."

At his prompting, the smaller captain sat in one of the two armchairs towards the center of the office space. 

"Normally an omega's scent can be detected strongest from the glands in their wrists, inner thighs, and neck. It is slightly different for those who have not presented fully, as only the glands in the neck produce pheromones prior to the first completed heat cycle." Fuegoleon explained as he kneeled in front of William, whose blush only seemed to deepen at those words. 

"O-oh, I hadn't realized. Give me just a moment please." The seated male began to remove the Golden Dawn cloak, undoing the high collar he wore, baring the skin of his neck and scent gland to the other captain.

Fuegoleon himself was beginning to flush just the slightest bit, the reality of what he needed to do to scent his fellow captain setting in. He trusted that the two could conduct themselves professionally afterwards.

"This will just take a few seconds, I apologize for any discomfort you feel. The only consolation I can offer is that my pheromones as a bonded alpha are neutral to your own senses, else your instincts register me as an unwanted threat." The alpha leaned into William's space, while the tree mage resisted the urge to back away from the larger man's presence and sink into the chair.

William was sure his face must be crimson (ha) at this point, a gasp leaving him as a fiery hand reached around and pressed on his back to pull the other to the edge of the seat, meeting an equally warm face that ghosted over his scent gland and inhaled deeply.

His eyes stared at the wooden desk as he focused on keeping his breathing steady. It was rather difficult being so close to the other, taking in lungfuls of Fuegoleon's powerful scent. His was so different from Yami's, wild and heavily spiced, like the air around the alpha was on fire itself.

William relaxed when the redhead pulled away, slowly leaning out of his space with his eyes closed, before opening them and meeting the omega's own.

"Your heat should begin in 7-8 days."

No.

7-8 days? That was half the time Nozel had guessed! William barely had a week to meet and explain everything with Yami, nevermind all the squad work he wanted to complete regardless of what Julius assured him.

"Please excuse me, how sure are you of this?" He struggled to keep the worry hidden from his voice.

Fuegoleon wasn't put out by the other's question, such a short timetable was virtually nothing.

"Your scent has already fully matured, the next step will be the development of its strength and presence before the cycle starts. That period is typically to signal unmated alphas of an omega who has reached puberty, with the intensity of the scent acting a gauge for when a heat mate must be chosen." 

William took a deep breath and sighed, "This is much less time than I was expecting. Thank you, Fuegoleon. I'm glad I can plan appropriately for my heat thanks to you, I'd rather not have it come upon me by surprise. Please, let me accompany you out of our compound, it's the least I can do."

The alpha shook his head, "That's quite alright, I will be fine to make my way back. You should take the time and figure out your next course of action for your heat, it is important to have a safe and stable environment to begin your nest and store supplies." 

He moved to rest his left hand on the omega's shoulder, squeezing lightly in reassurance. "Good luck, William. Please do not hesitate to reach out to both myself and Nozel if you need anything."

The Golden Dawn captain gave a small smile at the offer, "Thank you, you both have already been an immense help to me."

As the alpha reached the office doors and opened them to step out, he paused, eyes being drawn to the small lavender box with a white bow that lay on the floor at his feet.

"What is it, Fuegoleon?" William asked upon seeing the man stop. He watched as the other captain reached down and turned, revealing the item the noble had spotted.

"I believe this is meant for you," indicating the clover shaped tag protruding from the ribbon's knot as he handed the box over.

_ "To: William _

_ From: " _

"There's no sender…," William pondered aloud, puzzled at who could have left it sitting out in the hallway, rather than coming in personally.

"You'll have your hands full the next few days. Though perhaps you may have some help to ease one of your worries." Fuegoleon teased, raising an eyebrow towards the gift that rested in the omega's hands before shutting the door behind him.

William turned red at the implication, staring at the box now like it was some kind of explicit material or a bomb.

'I wonder what it could be…'

The petite man unraveled the bow before lifting the lid and peering inside.

Nestled in a bundle of sparkling gold tinsel, sat two dark chocolate songbirds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Who could've possibly left those birds I wonder
> 
> p.s. I want to add a picture to show my inspiration for those birds because I got bored during lecture and started sketching random things, which turned into me putting that into this fic, so I'll probably put them next chapter  
> p.s.s. I really want dark chocolate now


	5. Nozel Silva

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for the late update everyone, got a little preoccupied with grad school. This chapter is kinda short but I'm hoping to get the next one up in the next few days and it's a decent bit longer

**Nozel Silva**

Nozel Silva loved his mate. Fuegoleon was a constant in his life, from their very first disastrous meeting as children til this day. The crimson haired man was a broad figure of power, alpha scent and presence not in your face, but definitely present to all who encountered the captain. Granted it took years of hard work, endless hours of training, and harsh failure to shape the confident leader Fuegoleon was today. Nozel had witnessed every minute of it, and he couldn't be prouder.

The silver haired omega remembered their interaction fondly, the customary introduction of two noble family heirs devolving into a pathetic mess of fists and half-developed magic attacks, no doubt prompted by some asinine comment on the Vermillion's part. At least that's how Nozel remembers it.

As teenagers it was far worse, both their magic and scents deepened, bleeding into each other’s space to rub against already raw, hormone crazed senses. It was near impossible for any of their spars to not transform into either a death match or a downright petty wrestling session, magic forgotten. Honestly, the things that sexual tension could do to people.

It wasn't long after Nozel's admittance to the Magic Knights ranks that the rivalry reached a head and bloomed into a relationship, both nobles' stubbornness finally eclipsed by years of dancing around their feelings.

Maybe fueled by Fuegoleon being a jealous 16 year old alpha. But that's a story for another time.

In short, Nozel literally couldn't imagine his life without Fuegoleon. His love for the other man couldn't be summed up in simple words, and he knew the alpha felt the same way. Perks of being mated to the fiery male and feeling the warmth that came with his side of the bond.

The omega man had never once doubted his mate, trusting him with every ounce of his being.

And yet.

Sitting in the captain's rooms of the Silver Eagles compound, Nozel experienced a sensation that was almost completely foreign to a man of his status.

Jealousy.

He wasn't quite sure if jealousy was the right word to describe his feelings at the moment. By now, Fuegoleon was sure to have arrived at the Golden Dawn's base and carried out the shorter mage's request to help William Vangeance. And this knowledge made his emotional state even more ridiculous.

A flash of embarrassment and heat that echoed in the back of his mind as he worked was the trigger. Remnants of his mate's feelings bled through their bond, and Nozel couldn't help but picture what must be occurring between the man and the other omega during the scenting process.

He hated it.

It was petty, akin to someone taking a bite of your food without asking.

But the imagery in his mind developed into endless questions.

How strong was Vangeance's scent now?

Was it similar to his own? The mercury user doubted it, given their vast personal differences. But it obviously caused quite the reaction from his mate.

His fingers tightened on the pen in his grasp.

Was Fuegoleon going to be wandering around the rest of the day with another omega's scent coating his skin?

What would people assume? His brief encounter with the other omega gave him hints of vanilla and sugar, light and sweet. It would be normal for others to expect an alpha like Fuegoleon to mate soon. Would they smell him and approve of the delicate scent floating around the man?

His own scent had occasionally been the source of insecurity, a blend of crisp wintergreen and citrus. It was sharp and cool, quite like the omega himself, but far from the fluffy, comforting stereotype his gender carried.

These thoughts swirled around his conscious until he couldn't take it anymore. Nozel stood from his desk, abandoning the paper that sat unfinished during his mental war, and walked out of the office.

He was going to the Golden Dawn.

~

As Fuegoleon descended down the steps of the Golden Dawn base, he pondered the box that was left outside of Vangeance's office.

'I wouldn't be surprised if it were from one of his own squad members, an alpha at that. No doubt some of them would jump at the opportunity to court their captain after he revealed his status.'

The alpha walked through the town located immediately outside the Magic Knights' compound, looking at the multitude of shops and stalls. 'It's been quite some time since I last presented my little bird with a gift. I'm sure I could find something nice, this region always has a variety of unique seasonal fruits.' 

Fuegoleon didn't know what his mate was doing since his departure that morning, but the slight throb of annoyance through their bond spelled out a headache by the end of the day for Nozel. The alpha was more than happy to do anything that would lighten his mate's mood.

He was so wrapped up in his thoughts that the redhead missed the figure behind him until he was pushed into a dark alley.

Fuegoleon immediately geared up for a fight, until a blur of silver hair and a familiar scent made him pause as he took in the man before him.

Huh?

"Fuegoleon." Came his mate's curt greeting.

"Nozel, what are you doing here? Has something happened?" The fire mage questioned, it was a decent way away from the Silver Eagles' base to travel. Whatever had been bothering the shorter captain must be urgent.

"'Has something happened?'" Nozel mirrored almost at a whisper, cool eyes narrowing the smallest amount. "Not exactly." A pale hand grabbed Fuegoleon's left arm, bringing his wrist to the omega's mouth as a pink tongue crept out to lick a slow stripe up the scent gland under his skin.

The alpha started at the sensation, eyes widening as they stared into Nozel's, whose gaze never left the taller man's in his movements. 

"I am not fond of how you smell." The words gave pause to the fire mage, before remembering his proximity to William Vangeance earlier in the morning. Realization came to man, internally smirking as he found the source of irritation for his mate. 

Was this real life? Nozel was actually jealous.

He kept his expression neutral as he slowly moved forward, backing the other captain into the brick wall of the alley.

"Oh? And how would you prefer me to smell?" he challenged, waiting to see what his mate would do next. His wrist was released as arms came to wrap around his shoulders, a tug on the pink sash at his waist telling him that the omega was using his mercury magic to bring him closer until their hips came together.

Fuegoleon brought his hands to Nozel's waist, squeezing slightly as he pressed his body against his mate. He loosened the grip on his scent, engulfing the silver haired male in warmth and spice. Nozel bent his head forward to the other man's shoulder, rubbing his cheek against his mate's and likewise opening the flow of his own scent before drawing back slightly, his lips brushing against Fuegoleon's.

"Like you're mine." He whispered.

A pulse of need came through the bond before the alpha surged forward and closed the gap. Kissing Fuegoleon was like breathing fire, the man's mouth a furnace as a tongue plunged into his own, mapping the space with fevered need. The alpha growled into Nozel's mouth, his left hand moving to cup the back of his head as he ground his erection against the smaller body, feeling his mate's own hardness grow in return.

The omega man groaned, knees going weak at the pleasure coursing up his spine as he lost himself in the sensations. Short gasps broke through the heated kiss at Fuegoleon's forceful press of his groin into the other captain.

The sounds drawn from Nozel drove the alpha mad, he wondered just how far they could take things before propriety kicked in and they came to their senses. If anything, their scents would begin to draw attention from the main street.

'Nozel did come all this way,' the taller captain thought as he crept his flame hand to the omega's belt. 'it would be a shame to waste all his effort.'

"What the _hell_ is going on here?!" A booming voice cut through the passageway, both men startling at the noise and turning to the silhouette at the mouth of the alley.

  
There stood the Captain of the Black Bulls, and if the deep thrum of his magic was any indication, he was _pissed._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yami angry, Yami smash


	6. Alphas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shit gets real

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I finished this chapter and had to update even though I just updated yesterdayyy, hope you all enjoy!

**Chapter 6: Alphas**

Yami stood awkwardly in the small, enclosed space of  _ Amortentia, _ the sweets shoppe in the shopping town of Kikka. He wasn't sure if he'd ever felt quite so out of place, even when he first came to the Clover Kingdom with Julius and joined the magic knights as  _ the foreigner. _

But as he looked in the glass display counters around the confectionery, he had to admit that this place knew how to make some real pieces of work. All sorts of designs, mini statues, animals, and even arrangements of other food lookalikes made from chocolate and cakes filled the cases. The sweet scent filling the space vaguely reminded him of a similar smell he noticed during his late night encounter with William.

"What can I help you with dearie?" A voice cut through his explorations, as Yami looked up and noticed a shorter, aged woman gowned in an apron behind the counter. The nametag on her apron strap read  _ Jean,  _ and she smiled softly at the tall alpha through large glasses.

"Uh, yeah, I'm looking for some kind of dark chocolate pieces. Do you happen to have anything here?" Yami shifted back and forth on his feet, rubbing the back of his neck with a hand.

"Of course, of course. We have lots to choose from, some of our ready made dark chocolate sets are here," she slowly shuffled from one counter over to another display, "but we can make specific designs as well if you have something in mind." 

The case sectioned for dark chocolate items was a tad smaller than the others, perhaps it wasn't the go-to choice for most sweet gifts. Nevertheless, the craftsmanship for the pieces was just as impressive as the rest of the shop, and Yami felt some of his nerves settle knowing he would find something good to leave with.

"We've got a bit of a sale going on right now if you're looking for a gift for someone special dearie, any of the singles come with a second piece crafted along with it as a pair." The woman mentioned almost offhandedly, but Yami somehow felt completely bare to the attendant and his shopping intentions. Seriously, how do old ladies always know?

At first the captain was drawn to some of the crafted flowers, anything from singles roses, tulips, buttercups, to poppies, all intricately done in solid dark chocolate. It made sense at first, what with Vangeance's affinity for plants, but as he leaned down to peer at the lower levels a shape hidden in the back caught his eye. 

"Can I see that one in the back, between those flowers." He pointed to it's spot in the case as Jean opened the back to bring the piece on the countertop.

A bird, about the size of an apricot, and honestly just as round as one too. While not as heavily detailed as the flowers, there was the shadow of blush carved into the expression, making it quite the cheery piece. Birds always seemed to find their way to float around the Golden Dawn captain now that Yami thought about it. The shorter man would probably find it cute, shapes of ruffled feathers on the outside of the chibi figure.

"You've got quite the eye young man, this one isn't quite as popular but it was part of a smaller line we had earlier this season. There's a bit of sea salt in this mixture as well, it helps cut some bitterness of the dark chocolate, a personal favorite of mine." Another smile from the shopkeeper as she turned to retrieve a box without even asking Yami, she already knew.

"You said it comes with a second piece?" he questioned, not wanting to leave the shop with just the one, though wonderful, chocolate.

"Oh yes, I can make the other in a jiffy, you just wait right there it'll be only a moment." She retreated to the back room obscured by a draped curtain, and Yami simply stared at the single bird now surrounded by gold nest paper in the box.

'Is this too obvious? Maybe if he doesn't seem into it I can pass it off as leftovers from Charmy's manic cooking,' the alpha mulled to himself, drawn from his thoughts as Jean returned to the counter with a second dark bird sitting on a display board.

She set the mirror piece next to the first within the box, now properly giving the image of two birds huddled with each other in a nest. 

"Would you like this wrapped up for your traveling hon?”, she offered, and Yami nodded in affirmation. 

"Is there a name for the lucky one getting this present?"

God, Yami wanted to die of embarrassment. Putting the other captain's name as the sole recipient would make the gift more personal, so why the hell not.

"Just William, and uh, no sender." The alpha refused to make eye contact with the short women, feeling his face heat the slightest bit.

She let out a small chuckle as she tied the tag in with the white bow from the ribbon, "Well I'm sure 'just William' will know exactly who to thank, people special to us always can tell."

The older woman held the completed gift in one hand, coming around the counter to stand before the towering captain, barely reaching the bottom of his chest. She patted his arm and handed the box over, "There's no charge for you dearie, I always enjoy making these pieces in particular. Good luck to you and your William." 

Yami stared at the short figure in front of him, box in hand, before exhaling a small laugh. "Yeah, thanks, I'm sure he'll like them."

He turned and left the shop with a small wave, keeping the present level in his hand as he made his way to the Golden Dawn compound. He could feel butterflies forming in the pit of his stomach as he beelined to William's office, doing his best to avoid any other Ki in the halls and being spotted.

As he approached the doors of the other man's rooms, he sensed a heavier presence in tandem with the familiar, soothing Ki, which was now not so soothing and a bit frazzled. Yami noticed one of the large double doors cracked just the slightest, and his curiosity got the best of him as he slowed his steps, creeping up to the opening to peak inside.

The box felt like a stone in his hand.

William sat on the edge of one large armchair, with the captain of the Crimson Lions kneeling before him between white clad legs, far too close in proximity to be taken as a simple, friendly interaction. The smaller captain had forsaken his squad robe as well as the high collar top, leaving his shoulders and neck bare to the other alpha.

Yami felt a small crack inside of him.

That sweet scent he remembered when he held the beta man close, but much stronger now, distinct and addicting, washed over him. It flooded the room and threatened to spill into the hall past the Bulls' captain. He watched as the redheaded man leaned in to press his nose into the slender neck, pulling the slighter male closer to unmistakably scent him.

The crack got deeper.

A heavy blush overtook the smaller man's face, his breath deepening while flush against Fuegoleon, but no indication of pulling away from the hold, and another wave of sugared air brushed past Yami. As the flame mage pulled back, he saw it.

A bruise just below the exposed jawline of Golden Dawn captain, obvious against the pale skin, and even more obvious to what it was. A hickey. Yami felt a hard lump in his throat as his mind raced, watching the two captains.

So that was his answer, he supposed. It was easy to draw his conclusion from what he saw, the intimacy between the two men undeniable and the territorial mark on the beta no doubt left by the Vermillion alpha.

The crack shattered.

He sat the heavy box on the ground, feeling foolish as he stared at the small offering just outside the beta's door.

But, beta?

Yami almost missed the words from the other alpha as he turned to silently retreat.

_ "Your heat should begin in 7-8 days." _

Heat? 

What in the world was going on with William?

He sped back through the corridors of the base, rushing to leave behind everything he just saw as numbness took over.

'The only way Vangeance would have a heat was if he was an omega, but that's impossible! He's been a beta this whole time! Right?'

Snippets of the past few weeks slid into place. That subtle scent. The void space that was characteristic of the smaller man. The remnants of honey and vanilla chasing the alpha out the front doors of the compound.

_ 'He's pretty tiny for a beta.' _

Yami's own words rang like a bell in his mind. It all made sense now, or, as much sense as it could make. An omega presenting this late was unheard of, but when has anything about William been average or normal, the man was born with  _ two souls  _ for god's sake. The smaller captain presenting so soon after the events of the Midnight Sun couldn't be a mere coincidence.

Fucking Fuegoleon. He wasn't surprised the noble would jump at the chance to have someone like William as a mate, he must have been the first to realize the man was an omega. And sure there was Mr. High-and-Mighty Braid face, but everyone knew of the two's childhood rivalry, the captains couldn't be in a room together for more than 5 minutes without picking a fight. 

Hell they were even worse than Yami and Jack.

'Only now he finds William worth the time, after he's no longer a beta. Damn nobles and their pedigree obsession,' he thought bitterly, stalking through the streets of the town just outside the Golden Dawn. He eventually took to the rooftops, feeling his own Ki running wild and unsettled. 

God, it hurt. He wasn't expecting anything like this. The chance of the beta,  _ 'no, omega',  _ man rejecting his advances was always hiding in his mind. But he would have never guessed the short captain was involved with another, let alone  _ Fuegoleon Vermillion. _

"Dammit!" Yami yelled, perched on the ledge of one of the taller buildings from the town. He took a drag from his cigarette, staring out across the streets and the bustling people below.

_ 'Your heat should begin in 7-8 days.' _

William was going into heat, maybe even his first one if he was this late to present.

'And he's going to spend it with Fuegoleon, not you,' a dark voice echoed in his head.

The alpha sat motionless in his spot, an unknown amount of time passing as he calmed himself, willing the pain in his chest to go away. His inner alpha was fighting for action, wanting to storm back to where the two men are and tear the other alpha a new one, but what good would that do? William had made his choice, and it wasn't Yami.

With a deep sigh, he rubbed a hand over his face, preparing to head back to the Bulls' compound and sulk in his toilet stall. As he stood, two flashes of magic and Ki from below snapped him to attention. 

He knew those two. One of which he'd rather not think about or see lest he go on a homicidal rampage, the other as icy as Mount Everest. But his magic knight obligations won over, memories of the attack on the Clover Kingdom and a missing arm coming to the forefront of his mind. 

Yami jumped across the rooftops towards the source of the disturbance, halting just before it's location to hop down to street level and peer down the alleyway.

Geez what was he today, a ninja? Sneaking around wasn't really his style.

There at the end of the alley, two unmistakable figures came into view through the shadows, pressed flush to each other against one of the brick walls. His blood went frozen in his veins at the sight, before boiling in anger.

Yami's hand went to the katana at his hip, drawing the sword and letting his magic and wrath flow out of him as he emerged from his hiding spot.

"What the  _ hell  _ is going on here?!"

~

William sat in his office, staring at the open box on his desk and the rather adorable gift inside. His mind was flipping back and forth between figuring out who left the chocolates and the timeline Fuegoleon had set for his heat. Who knew of his ridiculous sweet tooth? Should he try to find the sender? When was he going to talk to Yami? What was he supposed to say to the man to even bring up his orientation and heat?

He felt like his head was going to burst with all the questions running amok. 

A series of large rumbles followed by intense quakes reverberated through the Golden Dawn compound, the captain hearing shouts from the town below outside of his window. Echoing footsteps crescendoed from the outer hallway before his doors burst open, revealing Klaus to the omega.

“Captain Vangeance! Come quickly!” the man frantically yelled, William fearing another assault so soon on the Clover Kingdom.

He stood from his chair, “Klaus, what is happening? Are we under attack?” Grabbing his helmet he strode from behind the desk and set a brisk pace to the outside.

“No sir! It’s Captain Fuegoleon and Captain Yami, they’re fighting!”

~

“What the  _ hell _ is going on here?!”

The words pulled the two captains apart, both stunned at waves of malice and magic rolling off of the alpha captain, and plainly zeroed in on the pair in the alleyway.

It was Nozel who spoke first, “I don’t know what you think you’re doing, commoner, but you should know better than to direct such force in our direction, unless you wish to meet your end.'' The Silva’s own magic began to rise, mercury trickling around the two as he stepped away from his position against the brick.

“Listen you pompous peacock, I don’t know what your deal with the captain of the kitty cats is, but this doesn’t concern you.” Yami stepped further into the passageway, a small crowd of shoppers gathering behind him to peer at the trio causing the massive build up of mana.

“Vermillion!” Yami shouted, “you must think you’re real hot shit don’t you? One omega isn’t enough for you to keep it in your pants, so you just had to double down huh?!” Another heavy push of the Black Bull’s magic along with crushing alpha scent came at the crimson captain, forcing him to release his own in a counter.

“I don’t know where your recent quarrel with me has stemmed from or what incorrect beliefs you have, but this behavior is unacceptable! Cease this now before you do something we will both regret!” The Vermillion man snarled and moved in front of his mate, alpha instincts flaring at the blatant threat and challenge from the other alpha. His own possessive and guardian tendencies had intensified after joining with Salamander, initially causing quite a few outbursts of temper. 

The clashing alpha scents smothered the alleyway, bleeding out into the street as the bystanders realized it was not just a bickering match between alphas, but ready to burst into a full on battle of captains. 

Flames and darkness roared between the two and exploded at the clash, civilians shouting and running from the conflict.

“Run away!”

“The captains are out of control!”

“Some get the Golden Dawn!”

“Fuegoleon…” Nozel reached for his mate hoping to calm him, but paused upon seeing the alpha’s eyes. Gone was the customary purple, replaced by the golden yellow of Salamander. The crimson lion captain was fully immersed in his alpha and spirit, and no amount of soothing from the omega could pull him from the battle before he released some of the fire.

Honestly, alphas.

The silver haired man stepped back from his mate, sinking further into the alleyway before the alphas lept towards each other in an explosion of magic.

Nozel released his mercury magic to contain the blasts from the main street and it’s people, pushing the fight above the street to try and minimize the damage. This conflict was absolutely ridiculous, but even this level of foolishness was uncustomary from the captain of the worst squad.

_ “One omega isn’t enough for you to keep it in your pants, so you just had to double down huh?!” _

Yami’s words gave some indication. The dark magic alpha was under the impression that Nozel’s mate was encroaching on an omega of interest. Not only was it impossible as he would know from their bond (and Nozel would murder Fuegoleon), but it begged the question of who this omega was that drove Yami to this extreme reaction, and what caused it.

Oh, lord.

Nozel looked up at the ongoing battle and insults spewing from the alphas now clashing on the rooftops of the town. What else would bring the Black Bulls’ captain to the Golden Dawn other than the newly presented omega captain of said squad? The two had a rather long history from Nozel’s understanding, being quite close even while the tree magic user hid as a beta. Yami must have realized William’s new status fairly recently, and judging from the timing, no doubt seen Fuegoleon with the petite man that morning.

Seeing the other alpha entangled with another omega just moments after such a scene likely drove Yami to such a rage.

‘Coming to defend Vangeance’s honor then. How sweet.’ The Silva thought to himself.

“Dark magic: Dark Cloaked Black Blade!”

“Spirit Magic: Salamander’s Breath!”

‘And completely idiotic.’ Both men were beyond reason as they were now, and Nozel was high tempted to put his mate on the couch for the next month after this was over. Before he stepped in to try and de-escalate the conflict, a familiar voice rang out over the battle.

“World Tree Magic: Magic Warding Ash!”

Branches wrapped around the two alphas, pulling them apart and rendering both men immoble even as they struggled and continued growling at each other. It was about time.

“Nozel, what on earth is going on here?” Vengeance came into view, stepping out of the gaudy steel chariot produced by the captain’s squad member. The masked captain turned to his subordinate, and the bespectacled man swiftly departed after a stiff nod. William looked in shock at the restrained captains, who barely seemed to notice the newcomer.

The mercury user sighed before facing the other omega, “That commoner is under the impression that my mate and yourself are involved, and believed to witness infidelity on Fuegoleon’s part, spurring this confrontation. He must have seen you both this morning and made his assumptions.” Nozel made his way over to his mate. “Talk some sense into him before I do it myself, and my methods will be far less kind.”

William’s eyes widened as he looked back to Yami. He thought William was in a relationship with Fuegoleon?

The tree mage released the glaring captains as the two omegas approached them, Nozel drawing his mate’s full attention in a hushed voice as William moved into Yami’s space. The alpha stood rigidly, irate scent pouring off of him still as his focus shifted from Fuegoleon to the smaller man in front of him. Tension bled off large shoulders just slightly, and William did his best to project a soothing scent towards the man.

“Yami, I think there are some things I must clear up with you. Did you see Fuegoleon and I this morning?” he asked, wanting to reach out for the alpha but resisting at the moment.

Dark eyes shifted to avoid his gaze as the taller man shuffled his stance.

“I just came by to make sure you hadn’t stressed yourself into an early grave. Sorry for intruding.” The last words seemed almost painful at the admission, eyes not meeting the omega but the alpha scent finally calming. 

William's chest tightened, realizing who had left the small box outside his office door. So unlike Yami, no one would believe it if he told them that the gruff captain bought sweets for another. He reached out to hold a worn hand in his own, coming closer to the alpha and reminiscent of the night outside the Black Bulls' hideout. Grey eyes finally met lavender.

"I'm an omega, Yami." When no words or indication of surprise came, it confirmed his own suspicions. "I only asked Fuegoleon to come and scent me so I would know when my first heat would come. He already has a mate."

Two sets of eyes glanced at the couple to the side, now engrossed in each other, before meeting again.

"I wanted to tell you once I knew for sure. I felt that you deserved to know most, especially from me." William spoke softly, hoping to sooth whatever damage had been done. "Thank you for the gift, it's lovely."

Surprisingly, the alpha man flushed at the words, his grip tightening a bit in the other's hand.

"Yeah, well, I knew you liked dark chocolate, so I figured it wouldn't hurt." The dark, woodsy scent bloomed around William, betraying the alpha with its affection to him as it blended with his own vanilla and honey. He wanted to drown himself in it.

'Well, it's now or never.' The white haired captain thought to himself.

"I wish I had been able to speak with you and explain everything before all this. The last thing I wanted was for you to get hurt, in any way." He brushed his free hand down the taller captain's arm, over faint scorch marks and shiny skin. A small shiver went through the alpha at the light touch, his body leaning towards the smaller man.

"I could never imagine giving my attention to another besides you, Yami Sukehiro. And I do not know if you feel the same, but-"

His words cut off as William was pulled into the alpha's chest from their connected hands, the other man's arm wrapping around his waist as Yami rested his chin in the crook of his shoulder.

A beat passed, before the taller captain spoke.

"I think...we might both be idiots, William Vangeance." As he relaxed into the hold, Yami continued, "I don't care if you're a beta or an omega, you're still the same goldie guts to me. And it won’t change how I feel.”

The omega’s heart softened at the words, and he reveled in the mixed scents engulfing the pair as they stood together. He felt Yami’s firm chest slowly rise and fall with each inhale and exhale, his hold on the smaller man occasionally squeezing him just a bit closer. 

The dark magic user turned his face into William’s neck and he trembled at the sensation of hot breath ghosting along the sensitive area. He leaned his own head towards the alpha’s scent gland and felt his body heat as he took in more of the heady aroma.

“Yami Sukehiro.” A firm voice sliced through the tension, and both men looked to Fuegoleon, eyes a determined purple once again. “I must apologize for my own temper. I should have diffused the situation rather than losing myself to my instincts and mana. I hope that any misunderstandings and grievances between us can be put in the past.” 

Yami rearranged his grip on William, still nearly encasing the omega in his arms but opening his stance to the other captain. 

“Yeah, I guess I owe you an apology. Sorry about attacking you and interrupting your private time with the ice princess.”

“Thankfully there was no damage to the town during our skirmish. William, apologies to you as well, as this town is directly under your care. It was unfair for the residents to experience such an ordeal, especially at the hands of Magic Knight captains.”

William loosely nodded in Yami’s arms, still dazed from the thick scent of the captain.

The Crimson Lion continued, “Nozel and I will handle the civilians and give explanations to the Golden Dawn members on patrol. It would be wise for you to retreat to your rooms, Vangeance. There is a small chance that intense stress can trigger heat onset earlier than normal, and we do not have a definitive progression for your cycle as of yet. I trust that Yami can ensure your safe arrival back to the compound.”

With that, Fuegoleon retreated to the street alongside his mate, leaving the other captains alone on the roof.

Yami cleared his throat after a moment, “Well I guess we should get going then. Who else knows about you being and omega an all?” He ran his hand down the smaller man’s back, resting on the curve of his spine as they headed back to the base.

William flushed pink at the attention, struggling to hold his composure at the proximity to the other man. “Ah, my squad knows as of recently. They were informed in the event of future absence with my heat, and after everything with Patolli I could not bring myself to hide another part of me from everyone.”

The alpha hummed in thought, "So I'm guessing your presentation probably has something to do with the elf guy who was part of you, unless you're just the latest bloomer on the planet."

William let out a small chuckle as they entered the base, "No, you're correct. Patolli's soul was that of an alpha, and it's presence halted any secondary development I normally would have gone through with puberty. But I knew I was meant to be an omega, though I never imagined actually presenting." As the two reached Vangeance's rooms, they both paused. Yami couldn't deny that his instincts begged for him to follow the omega inside, to get lost in the sweet air around the petite male.

"Would you like to come inside me?"

The alpha felt his blood heat at the words. He must be hearing things.

"Huh?" He stared at the masked man as he held the door to the office open, who nervously waited for Yami's response.

"Would you like to come inside with me?" The omega repeated. "I feel there are still some things to discuss."

"Oh, yeah, as long as you don't have any of that grass water your guys try to pass off as tea." 

'Calm down for god's sake. You're acting like a complete knothead just because he's admitted to being sweet on you,' the alpha mentally berated himself.

He followed the man inside and closed the door behind them, watching as William smiled softly and walked to his desk. He removed his mask and set it on the wooden surface, picking up the familiar lavender box and coming to face the alpha in the middle of the room.

As William looked down to the gift in his hands, he spoke, "I wouldn't have originally thought it was you that left this here for me, but looking now I suppose I should have guessed." He tilted the open top towards the taller male, prompting him to look inside.

The original chocolate bird from the display case was familiar, but Yami hadn't actually seen it's counterpart before the shopkeeper placed it inside. The second bird sat huddled to the first, a grumpy expression detailed into the face, reminiscent of a certain captain.

'Son of a...that lady really is scary.' Yami couldn't help being amused at the confectionery, as everything ended up working out quite alright, all events of the morning considered. 

"It was hard to miss all of the chocolates going missing from those ridiculous dinners Julius always had for the Grey Deer. Especially when someone left a couple of sparkles behind," the alpha teased, placing both hands on the other's hips and watching William's cheeks color at the words.

"They're really quite fine, I would almost feel bad if I were to eat them," he admitted, setting the box on one of the nearby armchairs.

"But, I'm glad I can thank you properly for them." The last words came almost in a whisper as light purple eyes looked up into grey, and Yami wasn't sure who moved first.

His lips met the other, softer and sweeter than he could have dreamed of.

Slender arms wrapped around his neck, pulling him in closer and the dark mage didn't hesitate to follow as he deepened the kiss. He moved large hands from their spot on the omega's hips to squeeze handfuls of his ass, taking advantage of the gasp that ensued to slip his tongue into the warm mouth.

Yami's scent pulsed from him with a soft growl, his mouth devouring the whimpers the other man let out. Lifting the smaller male was easy for the alpha, gripping under his perky ass and swallowing the exclamation at their change in position. He maneuvered the two towards the solid wooden desk, never breaking the kiss before setting William on the edge and slotting his body between spread legs.

He could feel the omega's arousal pressing against his own, and ground his hips slowly into the other's as he slid large hands to undo the belt around William's shirt? Tunic? It didn't matter.

Yami broke the kiss to unclasp the metal collar around William's neck, mouthing at the exposed skin and lightly biting his way towards the juncture between his shoulder where the other captain's scent gland sat. Hearing the light gasps and moans from William was driving Yami insane, even more so with those slim hips trying their best to press back into the alpha and rut against him.

God, he knew the smaller man had just started to present, but he couldn't help but wonder if he was wet already beneath him, being so close to his first heat. 

How would he taste? Just as sweet as the scent emanating from him, or more? 

Yami dragged his tongue up William's neck as he pushed one hand under the now loose shirt, feeling soft skin heating under his palm.

William only trembled at the ministrations from the dark mage, overwhelmed at the fire coursing through him with every touch. He turned his head to give better access for the alpha, baring a pale throat in a blatant sign of approval.

But.

The hands pawing at his clothes and torso stopped, as did the man's mouth which drew away from him at the motion. William opened his eyes, 'when had he closed them?', and looked in confusion to the figure looming over him. Yami's eyes were zeroed into one spot on William's neck as the hand outside his shirt came up to trace the area just below his jaw. 

Where Alecdora had left his mark.

Yami hated this. He had no right to feel as he did, looking at the mouth sized bruise on William's neck with ire and jealousy. The other man was free to see whomever he wanted, it's not like they were together in any way before. But he had made it clear to Yami that Fuegoleon and himself weren't involved, so that just begged the question, 'who?'.

A pale hand came up to lightly grasp the one brushing over the bruise, and Yami's eyes met William's as the omega man brought calloused fingers to soft lips.

"I was honest when I said there was never another besides you." 

"But that did not entirely stop others from trying."

Yami's eyes widened, before narrowing in fury at the implication. 

"Who?", he grit out, barely restraining himself from leaving to massacre anyone that may have breathed in William's direction the wrong way.

The smaller captain shuffled indecisively on the desk for a moment, not wanting to essentially give Alecdora a death sentence. "I-It was a member of my squad. After I told everyone of my true presentation. But Nozel stepped in before anything happened and took care of everything, Yami, I promise. Julius even saw to it as well." He held on to the hand in his grasp, which now gripped his own tensely as waves of murderous intent poured from the alpha with a deep growl. He knew he had to calm Yami down before the man did anything rash, or, more rash than his usual antics at least. 

William unfolded the large hand from it's tight fist, bringing it to his face for him to nuzzle and rub into, hoping to placate the older man and ground him. "Everything is alright now, I have you here." He looked up through long lashes at Yami, noting the stemming of rage as he tried to release a calm scent for the other man.

The growling tapered down into a rumble, almost a purr, before Yami pulled William's face towards his own with the hand that rested against his cheek.

The rumbling continued while the alpha scented William, rubbing his face into the crook of his neck and spreading his scent all over the omega. 'Crisis averted for now', he thought to himself.

Sharp teeth against that very same spot on his neck drew him from his thoughts with a loud gasp, and William clung to Yami's clothes like his life depended on it, shaking as his neck was sucked on harshly and a hot tongue worked over the sensitive area, covering the older mark. He felt a wave of heat pulse through him, before a slick sensation appeared between his legs. 

"Ah-ah! Y-yami, wait, please." 

The mouth detached from his neck, stroking a tongue once more over the skin with another growl before William's gaze was met with fierce grey eyes blown wide. Shit. There were cases of an omega's heat pushing alphas into a psuedo-rut, not completely overshadowing their control like in-cycle ruts did, but still driving them mostly with alpha instinct. If the thick pheromones in the room and wetness he felt were any indication, William's heat was only coming on faster with Yami's presence and it was just as well affecting the alpha.

"Yeah?" The gruff voice was even deeper now, thick with arousal and lord if William's dick didn't twitch in his pants at the sound.

The large hands gripping him under his shirt and against the back of his neck brushed their fingers on skin in smooth patterns, rubbing circles into him. The omega man stroked his own hands down the muscular chest in front of him, feeling the vibrations of Yami's almost purr at the gesture. 

He finally cleared his throat to speak to the alpha, "I think Fuegoleon was right." 

The purr tipped slightly towards a growl, distaste at the mention of the other man enough to prickle the Bulls' captain's skin.

For goodness's sake.

He lightly slapped the taller man's chest, the action enough to cut through the alpha's grumbling, and William saw coherence bleed back into the stormy eyes.

"I must ask before we both lose ourselves to our instincts, and I know this is quite soon but," he stared into the now unwavering gaze, focused onto every word that fell from his mouth, and swallowed.

"Will you spend my heat with me?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SPICY
> 
> also loving my completely unoriginal name for the chocolate shop I just rewatched the HP movies can you blame me


End file.
